Visa letter scam revealed

16 April 2011 11:50 am Views - 7503

By Gandhya Senanayake

Three suspects in Jaffna who were issuing letters to Sri Lankan refugee applicants abroad stating that Sri Lanka was unsafe for living due to discrimination and violence were taken into custody, Military Spokesman Major General Ubaya Madawela told Daily Mirror online

The suspects had demanded approximately Rs. 500,000 each for such a fabricated letter. It is reported that these ill gained letters were forwarded to the relevant visa offices in the countries and used as material support to extend the visa period of these illegal refugee seekers.

Major General Ubaya Madawela added that theses letters gave an unsafe and discriminatory image of Sri Lanka so as to serve their purpose.

He further added that the diaspora was using these letters for their advantage to extended their visas in those countries

“The issuing of letters addressed to the relevant visa offices were run as a business and the headers and letterhead of certain groups having "status quo" in Jaffna were also used for this purpose', Military Spokesman Major General Ubaya Madawela said

 Further investigations into the matter are currently underway. (Daily Mirror online)